To know where the heart is
by OncerSwarekJateHudsonGscout22
Summary: Summary: Jake and Mel have been married for almost 12 years. Have a big and happy family. When a friend of their childhood shows up, they realize that even thou their lives are far from perfect they are lucky to have each oth
1. Chapter 1

To know where the heart is

Summary: Jake and Mel have been married for almost 12 years. Have a big and happy family. When a friend of their childhood shows up, they realize that even thou their lives are far from perfect they are lucky to have each other.

**Jake and Mel's kids **

**Jake Jr "JJ" (12)**

**Molly (8)**

**Henry (5)**

**Charlie (2)**

Jake rolled on the bed. He could feel an empty space next to him. Melanie must have been making breakfast already. He could hear the children's laughter coming from the kitchen

"Daddy" Henry was the first who saw him enter the kitchen

"Morning beautiful" he smirked at his wife. She was holding Charlie as she tried to give Bryant his breakfast. He leaned to kiss her, and instead Charlie pleaded to change hands. Jake picked him up and placed him on the high chair

"Morning everyone" JJ entered the room and started to help his mother set the table

"Hey daddy, would you help me with my project?" Molly asked eating a bit of cereal. Jake sat next to his wife and sipped a glass of milk

"What kind of project?" he asked

"I have to pick up what I want to be what I want to be when I'm big" she said. Melanie looked at her suspiciously "why do you need his help for?"

"Because I want to help daddy at "Southern" when I grow up" she said proudly

Melanie reminded quiet. Jake laughed "Jealous are you?"

She gave him a nasty look. Jake cracked into laughter. "Don't worry honey; I'm sure she wants to be a mummy just like you too"

"I do mama!" Molly smiled "I just want to have a job, too like you do"

"Are you upset?" Henry asked his mother. She smiled and he looked at Jake

"Hey, I almost forgot, Laura called" Melanie said. Jake's body tightened. His children looked at his confused, but he concentrated on helping Charlie eat

"Who's that?" JJ asked. He was sure; he had never heard that name before. He knew everyone in town

"It's an old friend of me and daddy" Melanie said cheerfully, but JJ noticed his father was still tense "it's just that daddy, didn't like her that much"

"Why not?"Henry asked interested

"Oh, it's a long story" Melanie told him. Jake still holding the spoon wondered why in hell did Laura had called for

**Chapter 1! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

To know where the heart is

Summary: Jake and Mel have been married for almost 12 years. Have a big and happy family. When a friend of their childhood shows up, they realize that even thou their lives are far from perfect they are lucky to have each other.

Chapter 2: hanging

"Can I come too daddy?" Molly asked as Jake got into the truck. JJ and Henry were already inside

"I don't think that's a good idea" Melanie pointed out. Molly groaned. She had always been kind of a tomboy which had ended up being a great dissapoment for her mother

"This is not a little girl's job" JJ said from the truck "it's a man's job"

"Shut up!" Molly said angrily "I can do it better than you!"

"I don't think you can Mol, sorry"

"I can!" Jake climbed down the truck and kneeled on his daughter's level

"I'm sure, you can baby girl, but I need you to stay here and help mummy cook something for her annoying friend Laura"

Melanie wasn't happy, but the comment made Molly smile "can you do that?" she nodded and returned where her mother and little brother stood

"I'll be back soon" Jake kissed Melanie sweetly and started the truck

Back at the house. Pearl had come to pay Melanie a visit

"Laura Cotton?" she asked surprised after Melanie told her about the call

"I don't know why she called me, I haven't seen her in almost 13 years" Melanie shrugged "I guess, you eventually miss home huh?"

"You sure do" Pearl smiled as she took the pie out of the oven "where is Jake anyway?"

"He and the boys went to check the shipping of the glass" she said "Molly wanted to go too"

"She does love it over there" her mother said

"I told her to stay and help me cook, but instead she is out playing with the dog"

"Is she going with you to pick Laura up?" she asked

"I don't know, Laura asked me to keep quiet about her coming, and Molly sure talks a lot" she laughed

Jake stood watching the trucks load the glass. JJ was inside with Bobby Ray and Henry checking the new made pieces. He sure had made it big. How could think that a childhood discovery had made Jake, discover a talent

"Why don't you want to go home yet dad?" JJ asked

"Still have to make a couple more rounds" he said

"You don't want to see that Laura lady do you?" Jake smiled. If only his son knew…


	3. Chapter 3

To know where the heart is

Summary: Jake and Mel have been married for almost 12 years. Have a big and happy family. When a friend of their childhood shows up, they realize that even thou their lives are far from perfect they are lucky to have each other.

Chapter 3: memories

Melanie held Molly's hand close as they walked across the bus station.

"Mummy, what is Laura like?" Molly asked. Melanie smiled

"You´ll see" she said and then spotted Laura. She of course had change in the last 13 years but there was still something about her Melanie had never forgotten

"Oh my!" was all Laura said as she rushed, holding a little boy in her arms and with an older girl in tow

"Hey!" Melanie said happily as they hugged each other. Molly rolled her eyes in annoyance and the little girl noticed

"Hi, I'm Daisy". She seemed nice, so Molly smiled "Molly"

"I see you made a new friend honey" Laura said as she balanced the little boy in her arm

"We should go, we have a lot of catching up to do" they walked slowly towards the pickup, and headed home

Jake sat on the porch stairs, padding Bryant, and sipping a beer. JJ played ball with Henry, but he occasionally, would glance to his dad who seemed extremely tense

"Daddy, wanna play?" Henry asked. Jake smiled weakly "I better check on the baby"

He headed inside at the same time that Melanie arrived home

Now the real game had begun. JJ thought

Chapter 3! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

To know where the heart is

Summary: Jake and Mel have been married for almost 12 years. Have a big and happy family. When a friend of their childhood shows up, they realize that even thou their lives are far from perfect they are lucky to have each other.

**I haven't updated this for such a long time! But I just watched the movie again today and decided to give it a try. Let's see then… **

Chapter4:

JJ still thought there was something a bit odd about the way Jake had behaved regarding this Laura person "Boys!"

"Hey mama" JJ said hurrying to the side of the truck "Hello" he said politely at the woman and their children.

"Hey baby where's your dad?" Melanie knew that if JJ was anything like Jake he was probably overthinking the whole situation. "Well Laura this is JJ, and that one over there is Henry" The 5 year old joined at the sight of his name.

"I thought you said you had three boys?" Laura said glancing at the boys. She examined them closely as if she was trying to figure something out.

Jake stood in the kitchen holding little Charlie. If this woman had known better she would have never come back, this was nuts. Like Yankee nuts. He raised his face when he saw Melanie and the others enter.

"Well, I have now seen it all" Lauren said jokingly "Jake Perry, Mr. Mom?" only you could get a hold on a southern boy like that Melanie, I give you that much"

Melanie smiled and walked over to Jake, she grabbed his hand and touched the back of his head "I'll go put the baby down" He said smiling sarcastically at Laura.

"Come on JJ" The boy followed his father up the stairs, followed by Molly. Only Melanie and Henry remained with Laura and her kids "don't mind him" Melanie told them as she saw they were taken aback "We all had a very long day"

Jake had secretly called Bobby Ray so he would take Laura and the kids to the inn. "I am sorry if we caused any trouble Laura apologized a moment later. "I didn't mean to upset Jake"

"Don't worry, you didn't he's just got a lot on his mind" Melanie said as she walked them out to Bobby Ray's truck. Jake approached Laura. "I am sorry, just don't see the point of you being here" He glanced at the children "Nice kids you got there, looks like you really finally made something of yourself, I mean you did want to fly being seeing this town was too little for you"

"Thank you, but I think that was a long time ago Jake, and I get why you and I aren't the best of friends, but I thought your mama had raised you best"

"She raised me fine" Molly glanced nervously. This was getting somewhere Melanie didn't want it to go, not in front of the kids.

"Jake?" Melanie found him in their room later that night once the kids were sleeping "Mind explaining what was all that about?"

"Nothing" He said without looking at her "I am sorry, I just don't like her"

"Well" She sat next to him on the bed "That is obvious and I know you don't like her but it's been a long time baby"

"Not enough" Jake said dryly. What was this woman doing here? He would find out or his name wasn't Jake Perry.

**Please review! :D**


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